US President Donald Trump on September 2 proposed renaming the Strait of Hormuz to the “Trump Strait,” asserting that the strategic waterway is under Washington's control despite what he called near-daily Iranian attacks on ships in the area.
The proposal came less than 24 hours after US forces conducted airstrikes on multiple targets in Iran, killing at least four people, including two children at a wedding in the southern city of Sirik.
“Now that we have it under control, should we rename the Strait of Hormuz to the TRUMP STRAIT???” Trump wrote on social media.
“Like America, the strait will be 'hotter' than ever!” he added.
Iran retaliated for Tuesday's airstrikes with missile launches targeting US bases in the region. The clashes pushed oil prices up about 4%.
Despite repeated US official statements that the Strait of Hormuz has been reopened and that millions of barrels of oil pass through daily, oil prices have not eased in recent weeks. Iran maintains that the waterway is closed and under its control.
On the same day, Saudi Arabia accused Iran of an attack on an oil tanker that killed two people. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO), a monitoring agency under the Royal Navy, has recorded attacks on vessels at Hormuz on nearly a daily basis.
In the US, gasoline prices are rising. According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the average price reached $4.12 per gallon (3.8 liters) on September 2, up from below $3 before the conflict began on February 28.
When Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched the conflict by striking Iran and killing its supreme leader earlier this year, the US president promised the war would last only six weeks. However, the quick ending he called a “little walk” did not materialize. The conflict entered its seventh month last week.
Trump continues to declare victory and control over Hormuz, repeatedly asserting that Iran has been militarily defeated even though it still has the capacity to retaliate against US interests in the region.
After Tuesday's airstrikes, Trump warned Tehran not to retaliate, saying Iran would be “hit much harder and at a much higher level” if it responded. But hours later, Iranian forces fired missiles and drones at US bases in Bahrain, Jordan, and Iraq.
The “Trump Strait” proposal on Wednesday is the latest move by the US president to assert control in a conflict critics call a strategic mistake that is turning into a quagmire. Last month, Trump said he considers the Strait of Hormuz “US territory.” Last week, he unilaterally renamed Lake Ontario—which lies between the US and Canada—as “Lake America” amid an ongoing trade dispute with Canada.
